The last of the authentic craftsmen of raffia shoes in Tangier

Thanks to an article published on the site Tangier-experience and following the indications therein, I was able to meet one of the two last craftsmen of raffia shoes in Tangier: Ahmed ZEGGAF.

Ahmed ZEGGAF: The last of the authentic craftsmen of raffia shoes in Tangier

The production of raffia shoes in Morocco

The producers of raffia shoes are blooming recently in some cities of Morocco (Marrakech, Essaouira, Casablanca ...), in response to an international demand for products that are both natural / environmentally friendly and moose. These producers often train in cooperatives, male or female, and respond to orders mainly destined abroad with well-defined models and multiple dyes.

Ahmed ZEGGAF, an authentic craftsman

While visiting the small workshop of Ahmed, one realizes quite quickly that it has remained safe from the influences of fashion, that reproduces identically the same gestures of the beginning of his career, ancestral gestures , inherited from a Spanish tradition, using the same raw materials and the same tools.

Authentic raffia shoes in Ahmed's shop

The shoes contrast with those of the cooperatives: little dyeing and no stiletto sandals. Simple moccasins and raffia slippers adorn his small studio of 3 square meters on 2, which you may cross if you walk the beautiful Kasbah of Tangier.

Whether for an interest in acquiring an authentic shoe or for intellectual curiosity, the visit to Ahmed ZEGGAF is worth the detour.

How to get to Ahmed ZEGGAF?

From the Mechouar Square near the Kasbah Museum, take the Bab Haha Gate, then walk along Amrah Lane to Bab Assa Street, where Ahmed is.

Interested in Moroccan culture? Here is an article that may interest you: The Kasbah Museum of Tangier - Museum of Mediterranean cultures.